Senior Associate Or Special Counsel | Litigation | Melbourne

Hamilton Locke Pty; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 130,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Promotion pathways

Mentoring by leading practitioners

Flexible working arrangements

Performance bonus scheme

Extra leave

Job summary

Hamilton Locke is seeking a commercially astute Litigation Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our national disputes team in Melbourne.

You will work on complex, high-value matters, collaborating with senior leaders and contributing to a nationally recognised practice while mentoring less experienced lawyers and developing your own expertise.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience practicing as a Lawyer, with litigation experience.
• Strong interest in disputes, investigations and regulatory matters.
• A collaborative approach with a proactive learning mindset.
• Confidence in managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• A commercial mindset and proactive client service.

Responsibilities

• Litigating complex contractual and commercial claims.
• Acting for head contractors and subcontractors in infrastructure and construction disputes.
• Acting in insolvency and restructuring-related disputes.
• Running shareholder oppression and partnership disputes.
• Defending regulatory investigations and prosecutions (including by ASIC).
• Advising boards and officers on corporate governance and pre-decision risk analysis.
• Acting in joint venture, M&A, and financial services disputes.

Skills

Litigation experience

Regulatory matters

Collaborative mindset

Time management

Client service focus

Job description

About Hamilton Locke

Hamilton Locke is a law firm evolving the traditional approach to corporate and commercial legal services. We are constantly removing the layers of bureaucracy, reacting quickly to change, providing exceptional service and finding creative solutions to deliver smart advice.

We are part of the HPX Group, which was proudly named one of AFR BOSS Best Places to Work 2025. Within that group, Hamilton Locke was also recognised as Law Firm of the Year at the 2025 Australian Law Awards, a reflection of our commitment to doing things differently and creating an exceptional experience for both our people and clients.

We have offices in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with our clients located across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and Asia.

The role

We are seeking a commercially astute Litigation Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our high-performing national disputes team, working closely with Sophie Uhlhornin our Melbourne office.

This is a rare opportunity to join a tight-knit, collaborative team working on complex, high-value matters. The practice is led by Brit Ibanez, Managing Partner, and is known for its strong emphasis on mentorship, professional development and genuine career progression.

You will play a key role in strategic litigation matters, working directly with senior leaders while contributing to a nationally recognised disputes practice.

The Practice

As a member of our Litigation team, you’ll work on a broad range of challenging and engaging matters, including:

• Litigating complex contractual and commercial claims.
• Acting for head contractors and subcontractors in infrastructure and construction disputes
• Acting in insolvency and restructuring-related disputes.
• Running shareholder oppression and partnership disputes.
• Defending regulatory investigations and prosecutions (including by ASIC).
• Advising boards and officers on corporate governance and pre-decision risk analysis.
• Acting in joint venture, M&A, and financial services disputes.

About You

We’re seeking a sharp, curious, and team-oriented Senior Associate or Special Counsel who is excited to grow their litigation expertise in a dynamic and supportive environment. You will ideally bring:

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience practicing as a Lawyer, with litigation experience.
• A strong interest in disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters.
• A collaborative approach, a desire to learn from experienced practitioners, with a proactive approach.
• Confidence in managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• A commercial mindset and proactive approach to client service.

What’s in it for you

• Clear promotion pathways
• Be mentored by leading practitioners in a supportive environment, with access to quality work, great clients and professional development opportunities.
• A fun, collaborative and high-performing team environment with regular social events, training days and team retreats.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A clear and transparent performance bonus scheme.
• An extra week’s leave, as part of our employee personal development program.
• A day of birthday leave.
• Support in building client relationships.

For more information on Hamilton Locke, please visit *****************.au or follow us on LinkedIn.

Accessibility and inclusion

At Hamilton Locke, our culture is made up of unique backgrounds and varying life experiences. We celebrate our people's differences across gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, cultural backgrounds, and family and caring arrangements.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please contact us at **********************.

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